Iowa Governor Culver Honors Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, and Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma--Proclaims October 4-10, 2009 “Native Ioway History Week”

Des Moines, IA, October 08, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Iowa Governor Chet Culver has proclaimed October 4-10, 2009 the third annual Native Ioway History Week honoring the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, and the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma. The special week reminds state residents and Iowa educators to remember the American Indian people whose name the state bears. The tribes’ little-known history has recently come to light with the success of the documentary “Lost Nation: The Ioway.” Both tribes have pledged support for a documentary sequel project that will be released in 2011.

Descending from a culture archaeologists call the Oneota, the Ioway were removed from the territory now known as Iowa in 1837 to a reservation near White Cloud, Kansas. The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska split in 1878 and the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma was established near Perkins, Oklahoma. Both tribes have a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 members. The Ho Chunk (Winnebago), Otoe, and Missouria tribes are also descendants of the Oneota culture.

Nearly 200 members of both tribes returned to Iowa in October 2007 for the premiere of Fourth Wall Films’ “Lost Nation: The Ioway” in Des Moines. It was the largest gathering of Ioway people in Iowa since removal in 1837, and the largest gathering of both tribes since they split in 1878.

A delegation from the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma visited the Iowa State Capitol and presented gifts to the people of of the state of Iowa, including a handmade broadcloth by Ioway Tribal Elder women. A portrait of Ioway leader No Heart is on display in Governor Culver’s office.

Kelly and Tammy Rundle’s award-winning “Lost Nation the Ioway,” has screened nearly 100 times in more than 60 cities throughout the Midwest since its premiere in 2007. “Lost Nation” was released nationally on DVD in October 2008, and will be broadcast on Midwestern PBS stations.

“Lost Nation: The Ioway” tells the story of Iowa’s Native people from 1700-1837. Two new additional one-hour films will cover the tribes' history from 1838-1970s.

In addition to "Lost Nation: The Ioway," two new books were released this year bringing even more awareness to the Ioway people: "The Ioway in Missouri" by Greg Olson (University of Missouri Press) and "The Indians of Iowa" by Lance M. Foster (University Press of Iowa).

Fourth Wall Films is a film and video production company based in Moline, Illinois. The Rundles previously produced the critically-acclaimed “Villisca: Living with a Mystery” and are currently producing “Country School: One Room – One Nation” and “Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg.”

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